CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

International General Certificate of Secondary Education

MARK SCHEME for the May/June 2013 series

0438 BIOLOGY (US)

0438/21 Paper 2 (Core Theory), maximum raw mark 80

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2013 series for most IGCSE, GCE Advanced
Level and Advanced Subsidiary Level components and some Ordinary Level components.
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IGCSE – May/June 2013 0438 21

Mark schemes will use these abbreviations

• ; separates marking points

• / alternatives
• R reject
• A accept (for answers correctly cued by the question)
• I ignore as irrelevant or inadequate
• ecf error carried forward
• AW alternative wording (where responses vary more than usual)
• AVP alternative valid point
• ORA or reverse argument
• OWTTE or words to that effect
• underline actual word given must be used by candidate (grammatical variants excepted)
• ( ) the word / phrase in brackets is not required but sets the context
• D, L, T, Q quality of: drawing / labelling / table / detail as indicated
• max indicates the maximum number of marks
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Answer Marks Guidance for Examiners

1 (a) 1 intake of nutrients / organic substances / mineral ions; A – obtain, ingest, absorb, named nutrient, food
A – using light to form organic substances / food
I – photosynthesis
2 for respiration / growth / tissue repair / metabolic activity; [2]

(b) 1 the release energy;

2 by the breakdown / oxidation of glucose / sugar; [2] A – reaction of oxygen with glucose / sugar

[Total: 4]
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2 (a)
1 mark for each correctly completed row.
alcohol heroin

addiction YES YES; A – ticks (YES) and crosses (N)

depressant YES YES;

can cause liver damage YES; YES

when used in excess
[3]

(b) (i) reduces the carriage of oxygen (by red blood cells) / OWTTE; A – blocks haemoglobin from carrying oxygen,
[1] reduces fetal growth / weight

(ii) causes addiction / paralyses cilia / raises blood pressure; [1] A – increases heart rate, (risk of) thrombosis

(iii) can lead to lung cancer / persistent coughing / bronchitis / A – tongue, mouth, trachea, stomach, liver cancers
emphysema / damages cilia; [1]

[Total: 6]
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3 (a) (i) C / I; [1] Throughout (i) to (v) accept correct names.

(ii) C; [1]

(iii) B / C / F; [1]

(iv) G; [1] R–H

(v) B; [1]

(b) 1 (lipase digests) fats / oils / lipid;

2 into fatty acids;

3 and glycerol;

4 changes large / insoluble to small / soluble molecules;

5 catalyst / speeds up / catalyses (breakdown of fats); [3] Any three – 1 mark each

(c) (i) calcium; A – phosphates / fluorides / phosphorus

[1] I – fluorine, symbols

(ii) R – enamel / crown;

S – dentine; A – named components of pulp e.g. nerves,
T – pulp (cavity); [3] capillaries
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(iii) 1 bacteria (in mouth);

2 use sugars / glucose;

3 release (lactic) acid; A – ref to acid in foods

4 this erodes enamel; A – breakdown / destroy / corrodes / dissolves

5 allows entry of bacteria to dentine / live tissue;

6 ref to poor dental hygiene; max [3] Any three – 1 mark each.

[Total:15]
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4 (a) A – petal; A – corolla

B – anther / stamen;

C – sepal; A – calyx

D – ovule / ovary / carpel; [4] I – stigma / style

(b) (i) transfer of pollen / OWTTE; A – male gamete

I – refs to mechanism
from male part of plant / anther to female part of plant / stigma; [2]

(ii) 1 having a scent / smell;

2 having a nectary / nectar; A – honey

3 having nectary guides / lines on petals;

4 being large / obvious / having a particular shape;

5 being brightly coloured;

6 anthers / stigma enclosed by petals / OWTTE; R – wind-pollinated features

7 having sticky / adhesive pollen; [4] Any four – 1 mark each

(c) more pollen

the pollen is blown everywhere / randomly distributed / pollen A – higher chance of pollination
wasted;

light pollen
easily carried by wind / can be carried further; [2]

[Total:12]
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5 (a) (i) 1 better medical facilities / drugs / treatments / fewer infant

mortalities / longer life span;

2 better hygiene conditions such as improved sewage / refuse

disposal / water supply;

3 better nutrition / healthier foods / more food consumed;

4 improved availability of food by better food preservation /

storage / less risk of starvation;

5 improved agricultural processes / use of fertilisers /

pesticides / crop and animal selection makes more food
available;

6 improved transfer of food (worldwide); [3] Any three – 1 mark each.

(ii) 1 increased demand for oil / energy / gas / electricity / fuel; A – increased demand for resources (In lieu of both
MPs 1 and 2)
2 increased demand for raw materials / minerals; A – ref to competition is equiv to increased demand .
ORA applies to these MPs
3 increased demand for food;
A - refs to reduced living space
4 increased demand for water;

5 leads to overcrowding;
Any three – 1 mark each.
6 more risk of major / epidemic disease outbreaks;

7 greater risk of conflict;

8 increased amounts of waste for disposal;

9 increased risk of environmental damage / pollution;

10 increased demand for jobs / employment; [3]

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(b) (i) 1 radiation (from fall out) affects / alters DNA / causes
mutations;

2 can cause cancers / radiation sickness;

3 much fallout has a long radioactive half-life / breaks down

very slowly;

4 can enter food chains / description of food chain /

bioaccumulation [2] Any two – 1 mark each.

(ii) 1 contain pathogens / bacteria / disease causing organisms;

2 leads to disease outbreaks / named disease;

3 can lead to eutrophication of waterways / anaerobic

conditions / description;

4 fish / other aquatic organisms may die; A – migrate, numbers decrease

5 has a visual impact / unacceptable smell; [3] Any three – 1 mark each

[Total:11]
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6 (a) it is an animal / predator that eats other animals; A – meat, flesh

to obtain the energy / raw materials / food it needs; [2]

(b) insects; [1]

(c) A – birds
hawk

insect eating
birds
A – tree
insects

oak tree A – triangle shape with 4 sections

column of four boxes, each larger than the one above;

each labelled as per food chain / labelled by trophic levels; [2]

(d) photosynthesis;

1 (sun)light is source of energy / is used; MPs 1, 3, 4, 5 may be gained from a word equation.

1 absorbed / trapped by chloroplasts / chlorophyll; [1]

3 to react together carbon dioxide and water;

4 to form glucose / sugar; I – starch, carbohydrate

5 oxygen is also formed / waste product; max [3] Any three – 1 mark each.

[Total: 9]
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7 (a) allele is (any two or more) alternative forms of a gene;

gene is a length of DNA (that codes for a protein) / part of a A – piece, segment, part of, thread
chromosome; [2]

(b) (i) child 5 cannot taste PTC and must have inherited this from Some points may be gained by annotation of
parents; diagram. Accept other letters apart from T,t

allele for not tasting PTC present in parents but is not apparent in child (5) cannot taste but parents can;
both / either parents’ phenotype; child (5) has double recessive / child tt;
received from both / each parent;
as parents can taste PTC the allele for tasting must be dominant parents must be heterozygous;
to the other allele; parent phenotype shown is taster – thus allele must
be dominant;

[3] Any 3 – 1 mark each

(ii) 2 – Tt;
5 – tt; [2]

(iii) TT and Tt; [1] NB - both genotypes needed for 1 mark.

[Total: 8]
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8 (a) F – aorta;
G – renal vein;
H – pulmonary artery; [3]

(b) 1 entering leg muscle has higher concentration of oxygen; Assume responses refer to blood entering muscle
unless reversed is stated. Need comparative
2 has lower concentration of carbon dioxide;

3 has more glucose; A – ORA for blood leaving muscle

4 has lower temperature;

5 has lower lactic acid concentration; A – more, less for refs to concentration
Any two – 1 mark each.
6 has higher (blood) pressure; [2]

(c) 1 this allows a lower pressure circulation to the lungs;

2 less likely to damage delicate tissues; A – capillaries, alveoli

3 higher pressure circulation to rest of body;

4 with greater distance to travel;

5 allows only deoxygenated blood to go to lungs / only

oxygenated blood to rest of body / bloods do not mix; [3] Any three – 1 mark each.

[Total: 8]
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9 (a) (excretion is the) removal from an organism / body; Only award MP1 if clearly distinct from egestion

of toxic materials / metabolic waste / substances in excess; [2]

(b) lungs; One mark for organ and one mark for two excretory
carbon dioxide and water; substances

kidney;
urea and (mineral) salts / water;

skin / sweat gland;

water and (mineral) salts; A – urea

liver;
bile pigments and cholesterol; A – bilirubin, biliverdin
[4] Any two pairs – 2 marks each.

(c) oxygen;

carbon dioxide;

water; [1] Any one – 1 mark.

[Total: 7]